Anti-heel and anti-movement device for floats, boats and craft



Nov. 4,1958 T. M. RUSSELL, JR I 79 ANTI-HEEL AND ANTI-MOVEMENT DEVI GEFOR FLOATS, BOATS AND CRAFT Filed Aug. 50, 1954 CUTAWAY s United states Patent ANTI-HEEL AND ANTI-MOVEMENT DEVICE FOR FLOATS, BOATS AND CRAFT Thomas M. Russell, Jr., Middletown, Conn.

Application August 30, 1954, Serial No. 452,940

1 Claim. (Cl. 114121) This invention relates to floats and in general to those used for swimming and bathing but its principle is applicable to any raft, float, or craft. The purpose of the invention is to diminish the amount of tilt or heel taken on by a float when weight is applied near one of its sides or edges and in addition to give the float more resistance to horizontal forces.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a partially completed float embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the completed float;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the float showing the same supported on a body of water;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of a conventional float showing the tendency of the float to tip when there is an uneven distribution of weight on it;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating the manner in which the float of the invention resists tipping movement;

Fig. 6 is a view of the float shown in Fig. 4 and illustrating the tendency of the same to move on the water when there is a lateral thrust exerted on the float; and

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of the float of the invention illustrating how movement of the same in the water is resisted when a lateral thrust is exerted on the float.

The size and shape are not important to the functioning of the device but in order to particularize for the purposes of description, a square, boxlike float is shown in Fig. l comprised of top and bottom pieces 1 and 3 and sides 2. Thus we have a float of considerable buoyancy but somewhat unstable when a considerable weight is placed near one of the sides. Also, in the case of a swimming float similar to the one shown in Fig. 1 the displacement needed to support the structure itself will be more or less one twelfth the edge height with resultant little lateral resistance in the water and when diving from same the float will move a considerable distance.

To accomplish the purposes described above and as shown in Fig. 2, a skirt 6 of a proper height is fastened and made watertight to the bottom of the float. If the bottom of the raft, float, or craft is such that this watertight connection cannot be made then the skirt can be supplied with a top piece and so in either case we have an inverted open box or vessel which is watertight. A hole 4 is then drilled from top to bottom of the float and a tube inserted or during construction (as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3) a wooden piece 5 can be glued between the top and bottom of the float and the hole drilled through this so that in either case an air vent is provided in the center of the skirt enclosure 9. This allows air to escape when the float with skirt attached is placed in the water 2,858,790 Patented Nov. 4, 1958 20, and the float then takes up'the position shown in Fig. 3, with the inverted box formed by the skirt full of water.

If the float were not equipped with a skirt 6 and then a weight 10 were placed near one edge, the float would take up a position more or less as shown in Fig. 4. However, with the skirt 6 attached and weight 10 placed near one edge the tilt or heel of the float would be much less than in Fig. 4 and more nearly as shown in Fig. 5. This is due to the fact that part of the water enclosed by the skirt, namely, the volume marked 21 in Fig. 5, is lifted above the waterline as the float begins to tilt or heel until the weight of this water and the greater weight of weight 10 balance off at a relatively small angle of tilt or heel. In a narrow float the bottom of hole 4 might rise momentarily above the waterline in which case air would rush into space 9 through hole 4 and the counterbalance effect would be lost as the water in volume 21 dropped to normal level. This contingency can be taken care of, if necessary, by a flap valve located in or at one of the ends of hole 4 allowing air movement in an upward direction only. Such a valve has not been needed in the present floats constructed for test purposes.

In addition to its anti-heel qualities, skirt 6 performs another valuable function, that of reducing lateral motion due to horizontal forces. Fig. 6 shows a float without a skirt with an individual 15 indicated in the act of diving therefrom and by his horizontal thrust 11 imparting considerable lateral motion to the float as shown by the arrow 12. A light float has very little displaced lateral area or draft 8 and moves a considerable distance as the result of a dive. A float with skirt attached is shown in Fig. 7 where the horizontal thrust of the dive 11 is greatly offset by the horizontal inertia resistances of the water against the skirt at areas 13, resulting in far less lateral movement as shown by arrow 14.

I claim:

An anti-heel float comprising a rigid platform-forming flat top extending horizontally, a rigid flat bottom adapted to lie flat in a body of water a distance below the top and extending parallel to the latter, an imperforate side-Wall structure extending between and joining the top and bottom to form an air chamber therebetween, the top and bottom each being imperforate except in the central region thereof and having an aperture in said region, a tube extending between the top and bottom and forming an air passage between said apertures, said tube serving to vent air trapped below the bottom during launching of the float, the lower end of said passage being closed by water when the float is fully launched so that air cannot seep under the float through the passage, and an imperforate skirt fixed to the bottom and extending completely around the latter, the skirt extending below the bottom a distance of at least approximately one half the height of the sidewall structure, the skirt serving to inhibit tipping of the float by tending to prevent air from seeping under the sides of the float when there is an uneven distribution of weight on the float.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 20,374 Shears May 25, 1858 723,759 Thompson Mar. 24, 1903 1,341,677 Roberts June 1, 1920 FOREIGN PATENTS 8,307 Great Britain Apr. 6, 1906 434,767 Germany Sept. 29, 1926 

